Meeting_Body
PLANNING & PROGRAMMING COMMITTEE
MARCH 19, 2025
Subject
SUBJECT: MAJOR CAPITAL PROJECT GRANTWRITING
Action
ACTION: APPROVE RECOMMENDATION
Heading
RECOMMENDATION
Title
AUTHORIZE the Chief Executive Officer to award a firm fixed unit rate Contract No. PS125381000 to Capitol Government Contract Specialists for Major Capital Project grantwriting services to support Board priorities, in an amount Not-to-Exceed (NTE) $6,332,734 for a two-year base period, with one, two-year option in the amount of $6,287,602, for a total NTE amount of $12,620,336, effective April 7, 2025, subject to resolution of any properly submitted protest(s), if any.
Issue
ISSUE
Staff requires grant writing services to secure funding for Board priority projects such as those included in the Measure M Expenditure Plan and the 2020 Long Range Transportation Plan. The current contract has been in effect for four years and is set to expire on March 31, 2025.
Background
BACKGROUND
The current grant writing contract was executed on December 23, 2019, and is set to expire on March 31, 2025. Under this contract valuing $6.4 million, 167 task orders have been issued, resulting in grant awards totaling $1.77 billion. 2020 Metro Long Range Transportation Plan aims to add over 100 miles of transit infrastructure over the next 30 years, making it the most ambitious transit expansion plan in the nation. In addition to transit improvements, Metro will invest in multimodal projects designed to improve safety and reduce congestion, such as the I-605 Hotspot Program. There will also be efforts to enhance alternative transportation modes through bicycle and pedestrian projects. Furthermore, Metro is committed to transitioning its entire bus fleet to zero-emission operations. Through these investments, Metro plans to improve regional mobility, support economic recovery, and promote sustainability with green construction practices.
Metro’s Countywide Planning & Development Department is seeking a consultant to provide grant writing and related services to secure state and federal discretionary funding for these and other vital projects. The selected consultant will also be responsible for identifying, developing, and securing Capital Investment Grants and other federal funding opportunities, which are new tasks in the Major Investment Project scope. Additionally, the consultant will support Metro's applications and major investment campaigns through special tasks. To accommodate the expanded scope, the contract capacity will be greater than that of the current contract.
Discussion
DISCUSSION
In 2014, staff began contracting for grant writing services to help local jurisdictions replace funding lost due to the termination of a federal program with funds from the new state Active Transportation Program (ATP). This grant assistance program proved successful, with 44 percent of awards in Los Angeles County going to projects that utilized grant writing services. As a result, Metro decided to continue this program, which has benefited 24 local agencies, including 22 cities, the County of Los Angeles, and the San Gabriel Valley Council of Governments (SGVCOG). Seven of the cities were designated as low resource cities, based on income and population. Metro then began using some of the consultant capacity to support its efforts to advance Board priorities. To date, in addition to Metro, the following have benefited from the current contract for grant writing assistance:
Arcadia Artesia Baldwin Park
Bell Compton Covina
Diamond Bar Duarte Glendora
Huntington Park La Puente La Verne
Lancaster Long Beach Los Angeles City
Los Angeles County Lynwood Montebello
Palmdale Pasadena Pico Rivera
San Gabriel Valley COG Santa Monica South Gate
The Measure M Expenditure Plans assumed that $20 billion in local, state, and federal funds would be available to leverage Metro's local sales tax revenues, enabling the implementation of a larger capital program valued at $41 billion over 51 years. The technical assistance to be provided under the recommended grant writing contract is needed to help realize these assumptions. The current contract has delivered $1.1 billion for projects to deliver the Measure M Expenditure Plan. Some of the major awards have been $600 million in state Transit Intercity Capital Rail Program (TIRCP) funds for the East San Fernando Valley Transit Corridor, $150 million in Senate Bill 1 Solutions for Congested Corridor funds for the I-105 Express Lanes project, and $104 in federal Low and No Emission (LoNo) funds for LA Metro Zero Emission Bus and Infrastructure Deployment.
Determination_Of_Safety_Impact
DETERMINATION OF SAFETY IMPACT
Approving this item will not jeopardize the safety of Metro’s customers or employees. On the contrary, granting this approval will enhance safety, as many of the grants that the grant writers will help staff develop will provide funding to expand and improve the Metro bus and rail fleet and infrastructure. Examples of past grant awards that have contributed to safety include the G Line Bus Rapid Transit improvements and the Huntington Park Safe Routes for Students and Seniors Project.
Financial_Impact
FINANCIAL IMPACT
The FY 2025 budget included $1,950,000 in Cost Center 4420 (Federal/State Policy & Programming), Project 405510, Task 05.05.01. Since this is a multiyear contract, the Cost Center Manager and Chief Planning Officer will be responsible for budgeting in future years for the balance of the remaining Contract budget.
Impact to Budget
Awarding the Major Capital Project Contract is anticipated to have a positive financial impact by obtaining billions of dollars for the agency. The source of funds for this contract are Administration funds from Proposition A, Proposition C, Measure R, Measure M and TDA, which are not eligible for bus & rail operations and capital projects.
Equity_Platform
EQUITY PLATFORM
Staff identifies potential projects for grant applications from two primary sources. The first source is the Active Transportation Program Grant Assistance Program. Under this program, Metro allows local jurisdictions and other ATP-eligible agencies to request grant assistance by submitting a Letter of Interest (LOI). The LOIs include information about whether the proposed project aims to benefit disadvantaged communities, such as Metro Equity Focus Communities (EFCs), which staff considers during its decision-making process, as published each cycle.
The second source for identifying projects is the Evaluative Criteria Framework (ECF). This process enables staff to consider projects from the Measure M Major Project Expenditure Plan, the Long-Range Transportation Plan, and other priorities set by the Board. The ECF consists of the following six steps:
1. Sustain Measure M and other Pre-Measure M/LRTP Priorities and Schedules
2. Align Project Competitiveness with New/Expanded Program Criteria
3. Evaluate Certainty (Formula) versus Risk (Competitive/Discretionary)
4. Ensure Consistency with Board Policies and Directives
5. Confirm Consistency with the Metro Long Range Transportation Plan (LRTP) and the Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG) Regional Transportation Plan (RTP)
6. Assess Transportation Equity and Geographic Balance
To address the Metro Equity Platform as a Board directive in Step 4 and transportation equity as a parameter in Step 6, staff assesses the transportation equity impacts of the projects under consideration, prioritizing projects that benefit people in disadvantaged communities and prioritizing outside assistance to lower-resource agencies.
Vehicle_Miles_Traveled_Outcome
VEHICLE MILES TRAVELED OUTCOME
VMT and VMT per capita in Los Angeles County are lower than national averages, the lowest in the SCAG region, and on the lower end of VMT per capita statewide, with these declining VMT trends due in part to Metro’s significant investment in rail and bus transit.* Metro’s Board-adopted VMT reduction targets align with California’s statewide climate goals, including achieving carbon neutrality by 2045. To ensure continued progress, all Board items are assessed for their potential impact on VMT.
As part of these ongoing efforts, this item is expected to contribute to further reductions in VMT. Over the previous two fiscal years, FY 2023 and FY 2024, approximately 87% of the awards Metro received under competitive programs, and with the support of grantwriting consultant services, were for active transportation and transit projects. This item supports Metro’s systemwide strategy to reduce VMT through planning and administrative activities that will benefit and further encourage transit ridership, ridesharing, and active transportation. Metro’s Board-adopted VMT reduction targets were designed to build on the success of existing investments, and this item aligns with those objectives.
*Based on population estimates from the United States Census and VMT estimates from Caltrans’ Highway Performance Monitoring System (HPMS) data between 2001-2019.
Implementation_of_Strategic_Plan_Goals
IMPLEMENTATION OF STRATEGIC PLAN GOALS
The recommended action supports Strategic Plan Goal #2: Providing outstanding trip experiences for everyone. Metro’s grant writers help staff develop applications for projects across all transportation modes. Our grant awards enhance mobility throughout Los Angeles County for pedestrians, cyclists, users of Metro Bus and Rail, Metro Express Lanes, highway travelers, and even for goods transportation.
Alternatives_Considered
ALTERNATIVES CONSIDERED
The Board has the option to forgo entering into a contract for grant writing assistance and rely solely on staff to prepare grant applications. However, the current staffing levels lack both the capacity and expertise needed to submit the number and quality of applications that could be prepared with the assistance of a grantwriting contractor.
Next_Steps
NEXT STEPS
Upon approval, staff will execute Contract No. PS125381000 with Capitol Government Contract Specialists for Major Capital Project Grantwriting services effective April 7, 2025.
Attachments
ATTACHMENTS
Attachment A - Procurement Summary
Attachment B - DEOD Summary
Prepared_by
Prepared by: Patricia Chen, Senior Director, (213) 922-3041
Mark Yamarone, Executive Officer, Countywide Planning & Development, (213) 418-3452
Laurie Lombardi, Senior Executive Officer, Countywide Planning & Development, (213) 418-3251
Carolina Coppolo, Deputy Chief Vendor/Contract Management Officer, (213) 922-4471
Reviewed_By
Reviewed by: Ray Sosa, Chief Planning Officer, (213) 547-4274
